PHOTOS: Rehabilitated Adomi Bridge develop cracks again

The rehabilitated Adomi bridge at Atimpoku in the Eastern Region have started developing cracks less than a year and half after its commissioning.

Photos available to Adomonline.com show cracks developing in the asphalted road on the bridge which connects the Volta and Eastern Regions.

The cracks, according to Calsius Clay, a coordinator at the Asuogyaman District Assembly have developed as a result of problems with the beam on the vehicular section of the bridge.

“I woke up this morning and saw police and other security personnel around the bridge, it had been barricaded to block vehicular traffic…when I inquired, no one was ready to speak but I saw that the problem was with the beam…,” he said on the ‘Fabewoso’ segment of Adom FM’s Morning Show, ‘Dwaso Nsem’ Wednesday.

The bridge was opened amidst funfair in December 2015 after it was closed to vehicular traffic to allow major rehabilitation to take place on March 14, 2014.

The bridge was rehabilitated at a cost of €12.9 million. The funding was secured from the Bank of Austria.

Former President Mahama opening the bridge assured commuters that the bridge is now “strong, it’s firm and it is will serve us for a very long time.”

However, less than a year and half after the opening, the Adomi Bridge which was designed in 1956 and completed in 1957 by William Brown of the engineers Freeman Fox & Partners but was rehabilitated in 2015 is said to have started cracks in the vehicular section.

Reacting to claims that the bridge which spans over the Volta River was closed again for repair works, a bridge engineer at the Ghana Highway Authority, Victor Nyantakyi Baah said the bridge was closed for the contractor to officially hand over to the state.

“After each construction work, we have one year period to assess it and the contractor is preparing to hand over hence, the closure…we are doing the final inspection…,” he said.

Mr Nyantakyi Baah added that they found that certain portions of the asphalt had developed cracks and hence asked him to patch those portions.

He however assured that there have not been any problems with the bridge since its commissioning.

“The fact that you meet people working on the bridge does not mean there are problems with the bridge…some are from telecom companies and also from BOST, they are just laying pipes,” he said.